Baby, I'll Be Home for the Holidays
by Marissalyn
Summary: Laura meets a mysterious stranger on her doorstep on the night of Halloween while home from college. Will she get to know her by the time the holiday season is over? She sure as hell will try.


Laura was just settling in for the night, the remainder of the candy that the trick or treaters didn't take in her lap. Setting up Netflix to try and watch one of the Halloweens to finish out the night, she got about two minutes into the movie before there was a knock at the door.

Looking to the clock, Laura's brows furrowed in confusion, it was almost ten, a little late for kids to be going door to door for candy. At the second round of knocking, Laura moved over to the door and checked the peephole. A woman around her age in a leather jacket stood on the other side, bouncing her leg while waiting for her to answer the door.

Laura opened the door slowly, poking her head out, "Can I help you?"

"Trick or treat." The woman said, a smirk growing on her lips.

Laura squinted her eyes in suspicion, "Aren't you a bit old to be trick or treating?"

The woman gasped, feigning offense with a hand over her chest, her jacket rising with her movement to reveal a gun encased in a holster at her waist. "Hasn't anyone ever told you not to ask about a woman's age?" At Laura's clear irritation from her teasing, the woman continued, "I'm kidding, cutie. I'm here to see your father."

Laura took notice to the gun and nodded her head. She must work with her dad, but she had never met her before, and she knew all of the other officers on the force from barbecues and family get-togethers. "You're new, when'd you start working for Toronto police?"

The woman's brow rose in question, but before she could ask, Laura pointed to her already hidden holster, "You have a gun and your asking for my dad, doesn't take a rocket scientist to put two and two together."

The woman smiled lightly, her bangs slipping in front of her eyes as she tipped her head forward in amusement before pushing them back out of her face with the back of her hand. "Two months."

"Aw, a baby officer." Laura teased, one-upping the mysterious woman in her head.

The woman chuckled this time before motioning towards the room behind Laura, "So is he in? I've got to talk to him about work."

"Work?"

"A case he has me on."

Laura nodded; it wouldn't be the first time her father had his officers come to the house to speak with him in his study. He liked it better than his office at the station. Quickly jutting her thumb behind her as she moved out of the doorway, she told the officer where she could find her dad, "He's in his study, down the hall and it's the last door on the left."

The woman nodded along to the directions, smiling at Laura when she was done and walking past her, "Thanks."

centerXXX/center

Laura waited impatiently to see the woman reemerge from her father's study. Normally she would have gone to bed by now, or at least retired to her room to read fanfiction in the dark on her phone, but she had to admit that the girl had been very pleasing to the eyes, and well, she was curious about the case they were supposedly talking about.

Finally the moment came where Laura heard the door to her dad's study open and shut, and a shuffling of feet make their way back into the living room. The woman eyed Laura up as she sat on the couch, candy bowl in hand and a blanket draped precariously over her shoulders, and smiled. "It was nice to meet you, Laura." She said as she made it to the front door.

"Wait, you know who I am?"

The woman nodded, "You're not the chief's daughter for nothing."

Laura wanted to smack herself in the face. Right, of course. Her father had informed her of the little speech he gave to all of the new officers about his daughter and how she was off limits. That of course was when she still lived at home and would sit in his office after school so she wouldn't have to go home alone. She didn't think he would keep up with the speech after she came out and had gone away to college though. "Right." She said aloud.

"Goodnight, cupcake." The officer said as she made to open the door and leave.

"Wait," Laura called out, watching as the woman turned back to look at her, "don't I get to know who you are since you know who I am?"

The woman shook her head, "And let you get away with easy knowledge?" She smirked, "I think I'll let you figure it out on your own, give you more time to think about me." She said exiting out onto the porch before sticking her head back in, "Oh and Laura?" At Laura's awaiting expression she spoke again, "You're father was right about wanting to keep you off limits." And as an afterthought her eyes traveled down to the bowl in her lap, "Careful cutie, might want to be mindful of any sweet tooths, I know I will be." With a last knowing grin the woman shut the front door and therefore left Laura with a dropped jaw and a burning desire to know her name.


End file.
